Clergy
counselors: When spiritual guidance becomes a need for professional mental health services
By ELENA GRIMM - egrimm@daily-chronicle.com
The Rev. Bob Weinhold believes in the power of prayer.
But the senior pastor at St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sycamore also understands that prayer can’t solve everything, and that’s why he also believes in the power of medicine. He recently spoke on the topic of prayer and its healing powers at a health fair held at the church.
Clergy are trained to counsel people struggling with something in their lives. Many denominations require seminarians to take classes in pastoral care, and some have chosen to continue their education in that field; Weinhold has a master’s degree in social work and counseling.
But when does someone need spiritual guidance from their pastor – and when do they require professional mental health services?
Weinhold likes to take a holistic approach.
“For me, it isn’t ‘either or’ in the really difficult situations; it’s always a ‘both and,’” he said.
This means that there’s a place for both spiritual and medical healing, and that they often work better as a team.
The first time he meets with someone, Weinhold often asks if they are in contact with their doctor regarding their situation. If not, he strongly encourages it.
Also, a list of recommended, licensed counselors is shared among area churches; the counselors are found to be “helpful and supportive in counseling issues when it comes to working with people in the Christian faith,” Weinhold said.
While giving someone a boost or a phone number can help point them in the right direction, it’s entirely up to the individual to follow through. The only times when Weinhold must intervene is when the person appears to be a threat, either to themselves or to someone else.
This is when the emergency room is the immediate point of contact, and Weinhold said he has had to admit people to the hospital when situations were very serious.
Like Weinhold, the Rev. Tim Seigel, pastor of St. Catherine of Genoa Church in Genoa, knows when someone’s call for help requires an additional set of ears.
It’s when what he is hearing “is bigger than what I can handle.”
At this point, he recommends a secular counselor, and also has a list of recommended providers. Sometimes, for instance, the person specifically wants a Catholic counselor.
“I do refer people to [counselors] I’ve gone to myself at different times in my life,” Seigel said. “I know the quality of their work. It’s always good to have that knowledge of people I’m referring these other people to.”
Both Seigel and Weinhold said they don’t hesitate to open the door to the medical world when a person’s struggle goes beyond their own capacity as an ordained minister. Seigel, acknowledging that he’s not a licensed practitioner, said he doesn’t want to do “more harm than good” by not allowing a professional to take over.
“They want us to be prepared to be present to people, especially in spiritual ways, but also to be prepared to be able to say, ‘we need to make a referral,’” he said, referring to the role of a Catholic priest as a counselor.
The pastoral care classes Seigel took when training to be a priest were quite extensive, but he also elected to take a 12-week session on clinical pastoral care, where he gained experience while doing a practicum at a mental health institute in Iowa.
Weinhold believes that much of what brings people going through a tough time into his office is stress related. When that stress translates into depression, marriage or family troubles or thoughts of suicide, the answer can be prayer, medical treatment or both.
“Ultimately in our lives, we can have a hangnail and become depressed or we can have everyone die around us and still have peace,” Weinhold said. “How we deal with the stress in our lives is a matter of our heart: How we view hope, how we view God’s hope, how we view the world around us.
“That’s where the Christian faith and our relationship with God takes seat.”
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